Phil Vettel recommends

Places to eat near Wrigley, the Cell

April 26, 2012

Han 202 (2 stars) 605 W. 31st St., 312-949-1314. This 36-seat Bridgeport storefront, where husband-wife team Guan Chen and Yan Ruan offer a multicourse menu of Asian delights for a mere $25 per person, one of the best deals in town. There are a couple of minor trade-offs for an offer this insanely good; reservations (required) are hard to obtain, for one thing, and for another, the maximum party size is four, no exceptions (Chef Chen says his tiny kitchen and bare-bones staff cannot handle more.) Oh, and bring your own beer and wine; there's no liquor license, and no corkage fee. Yes, some of the menu items require a few bucks' surcharge, but even if you indulge, the price is still a steal. Open: Dinner Tuesday.-Sunday. Price: Multicourse dinner $25. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Required. Noise: Conversation-friendly. Other: Wheelchair accessible.

Polo Cafe (not rated) 3322 S. Morgan St., 773-927-7656. Located in "Bridgeport U.S.A.," as the menu declares, this long-standing neighborhood restaurant offers the usual litany of steak, seafood and pasta dishes, but chef/owner Dave Samber cooks with creativity and passion. More people may know of this place from its annual appearances at Taste of Chicago, but those who've never been to Samber's homey restaurant are missing out. Polo Cafe even operates a small bed-and-breakfast in the attached space, for those looking for an offbeat (and highly affordable) urban adventure. Open: Dinner and lunch Monday-Saturday, brunch Saturday. Entree prices: $10.50-$25.50. Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V. Reservations: Recommended weekends.